How ChoiceLocal Helps Franchise Brands and Industry-Focused Businesses Lead in AI-Powered Search with CLAI™ and AEO

Search has changed. Ranking on page one is no longer the gold standard. Today, it’s about showing up at the very top, where AI-generated answers appear. At ChoiceLocal, we help our partners earn those top placements through Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), also known as Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). This is powered by our proprietary AI platform, CLAI™.

Franchise systems and vertical businesses that integrate CLAI™ into their digital strategy often see major gains. On average, lead volume increases by 50 percent within 30 days and up to 160 percent within 90 days.

Why AI Overviews Are So Important

Tools like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and other generative technologies have transformed how people find information. Instead of clicking through to websites, users are getting direct answers generated by AI.

This shift means traditional SEO is no longer enough to guarantee visibility.

To meet the moment, we’ve developed a targeted AEO strategy. At the core of that approach is CLAI™, our proprietary AI engine built specifically for franchise and vertical businesses. Our mission is to help our clients appear in these AI-generated results and to consistently be the trusted source in their market.

CLAI™ Powers the Strategy

CLAI™, short for ChoiceLocal AI, is our custom-built engine designed to drive performance in both traditional search and AI-generated overviews. It processes and learns from a wide mix of data, including:

  • Website content and SEO performance
  • CRM activity and sales pipelines
  • Calls, chats, emails, and texts
  • Marketing and ad performance
  • Shifts in search engine algorithms
  • AI overview placements and outcomes

CLAI™ takes this data and uses it to optimize content structure, keyword targeting, and user experience, all with the goal of helping your business become more visible in AI-driven search environments like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE).

Why Our Approach Works

Here’s what sets our strategy apart:

  • Predictive Search Intelligence: CLAI™ identifies the topics and content formats that AI systems are likely to prioritize.
  • AI-Optimized Content Creation: Our team uses these insights to build content that is clear, informative, and ready to be featured in AI summaries.
  • Live Performance Feedback: CLAI™ tracks what’s being featured in AI overviews and updates its recommendations to build on what works best.

This approach helps our clients become the go-to answer across both local and national AI-generated search results.

Our Experts Make It Happen

CLAI™ is the intelligence behind the strategy, but our people are the engine that drives results. With more than 100 professionals on our team, we turn data into real business growth. Our specialists include:

  • SEO and AEO experts
  • AI-focused content strategists
  • Paid media professionals
  • Developers and UX designers
  • CRO experts
  • Industry-specific marketers for sectors like home care, legal, home services, and more
The Results You Can Expect

By combining CLAI™ with GEO strategy and human expertise,
our clients see:

  • Higher placement in AI Overviews
  • Stronger brand authority
  • Increases in clicks, calls, and conversions
  • Reduced cost per lead through better organic visibility
  • Scalable growth across all franchise locations

Together, we optimize for both users and machines. We apply technical SEO, implement structured data, conduct A/B testing, and stay up to date with search engine updates to ensure ongoing performance.

Who We Serve

We partner with more than 60 franchise systems and thousands of local businesses in industries such as:

  • Home Care
  • Legal Services
  • HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical
  • Pest Control
  • Painting and Remodeling
  • Moving and Storage
  • Education and Child Development

Whether helping a national brand improve its AI authority or getting a local service provider featured in summaries for searches like “best HVAC near me,” we deliver results that matter. All of this is supported by transparent reporting, ongoing optimization, and a simple mission: Help Others.

Let’s Lead Together

We’re not just adapting to the future of search. We’re shaping it. With CLAI™ and a team of digital experts working in sync, we help our partners lead in an AI-first world.

Want to see what we can do for your business? Contact us or schedule a strategy session today.

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